Posted by Steve | Posted in Modeling Materials and Techniques | Posted on 05-05-2010
Tags: 3d, animation, art, clay, modeling clay animation, sculpture
What’s the best way to make model ‘actors’ for an animation?
I’ve decided to use dolls instead of making clay figures (kinda slack, I know, heh heh). I’ve bought a cheap doll from a discount store and an Action Man from a St Vinnie’s shop. So far, I’m just experimenting on how to transform them.
I experimented with both. ‘Barbie’s’ face melted (Action Man’s face barely burnt! Whoa, tough guy!) but her legs were thermostat plastic, which softened and warped when I applied the kitchen lighter to them. With her legs, I tried to ‘reattach’ them with plasticine and wire, but the plasticine was too soft, so I’ve decided to use a bit of plaster-of-paris next. But then there’s the issue of the knees (her legs couldn’t bend in the first place, so that’s why I experimented there). If the plaster-of-paris experiment works, what’s the best way to cover up the knees?
Then there’s the faces. I could remove the faces from the heads and replace them with plasticine ones, but then, how do you go about making them stable? Maybe a small wire frame inside?
The majority of stop motion characters require an armature, which is essentially just a wire skeleton that is inside a character. The armature allows you to bend a character into an position required and stay in that position until you move the character again.
For any specific questions, you should check out http://www.stopmotionanimation.com
It’s a message board filled with stop motion animators helping eachother out. They even have a handbook section that has basic answers and info on a variety of stop motion topics (armatures, sets, cameras, etc)
http://www.stopmotionanimation.com/handbook/
Here’s what they had to say about armatures:
http://www.stopmotionanimation.com/handbook/5.htm
In robot chicken where they use a lot of real toys, the toys need to be gutted and fitted with an armature. I’m not entirely sure why you were burning the plastic, I don’t see why you were doing that in the first place. If you want to make plasticine faces, I don’t see why you need to remove the old faces first. Why don’t you just put plastecine on top of the old faces?
Modeling clay animation test
|
|
Introducing ZBrush 4 $25.97 Design remarkably realistic creatures, people, and objects using ZBrush and the new edition of this top-selling book. Professional Hollywood animator and ZBrush artist Eric Keller combines his firsthand experience with detailed, step-by-step explanations to make you feel right at home with the interface and tools. The book reinforces the core concepts of ZBrush through fun, hands-on tutorials that… |
|
|
Introducing ZBrush $26.69 Learn ZBrush inside and out with this updated new editionGet totally comfortable sculpting in a digital environment with the latest edition of this bestselling beginner’s guide to ZBrush. Fully updated for the newest version of the software, ZBrush 4R3, this book dispels any fears you might have about the difficulty of using ZBrush and soon has you creating realistic, cartoon, and organic models w… |
|
|
Introducing ZBrush 4 $49.99 Design remarkably realistic creatures, people, and objects using ZBrush and the new edition of this top-selling book. Professional Hollywood animator and ZBrush artist Eric Keller combines his firsthand experience with detailed, step-by-step explanations to make you feel right at home with the interface and tools. The book reinforces the core concepts of ZBrush through fun, hands-on tutorials that… |
|
|
Cosmic Blobs: Lab Rat Edition – Deluxe Version (Win/Mac) [Old Version] $39.99 Cosmic Blobs Deluxe is 3D fun for kids. Bend, stretch, pull and flatten basic shapes like digital modeling clay into amazing 3D models! Blobs can also be brought to life with real computer animations like running, hopping, galloping and slithering. In a short time, you can create an entire mini animated movie complete with a soundtrack. The easy-to-use mouse controls and colorful decorating activi… |
|
|
Cosmic Blobs: Lab Rat Edition (Win & Mac) $39.99 Cosmic Blobs lets you create a fantastic mini animated movie, complete with a soundtrack. Bend, stretch, pull and flatten basic shapes like digital modeling clay into amazing 3D models. The easy-to-use mouse controls and colorful decorating activities offer endless ways to make fantastic and colorful objects…. |
